The Luba are best known for their stools, divination bowls (mboko), beautifully carved bow stands, and memory boards (lukasa).
Culture
The language is Ciluba (central Bantu). Women in Luba sculpture is widespread and correlates to the important role of women in Luba society. The Luba empire used a system of tribute to redistribute the wealth throughout the regions. This gave the ruling class a monopoly on trade goods such as salt, copper, and iron. Citizens relied of slash and burn subsistence farming. Hunting and fishing were also part of their diet.
Religion
The primary religion involved paying tributes and respect to spirits of their ancestors. Royalty was able to use religious elements to justify their rule. Royalty was also believed to have been divinely inspired. The initiation of the king involved a complex coronation ritual involving religious confirmation from a diviner.
Blog
Blog Entry 1:
We were just reiterating traditions today at home. This tradition, the Mbudye tradition, states that all Luba emperors were related in one form or another to a mystical hunter called Kalala Ilungs. This mystical hunter toppled the cruel ruler Nkongolo. He also gave the people the instruction for advanced iron forging techniques.
Blog Entry 2:
Today is a sad day, as our Luba King has just passed away. He has become a diety in his death, and we must honor him by tributing his ruling village. We must transfor his village into living shrines devoted to his spirit and legacy. He is not the first to have a village transformed into a shrine. Other villages have turned into these landmarks for their deceased king.
Blog Entry 3:
I became part of the famous mbudye group. We were chosen by the Luba Empire to be the official "men of memory". We are responsible for maintaining the oral histories associated with kings, their villages, and the customs of the land. We are not alone, as others can be found in kingdoms such as Kuba and Lunda.
Luba Empire
The Luba Empire in Central Africa
Friends
Technology
Culture
Religion
Blog
We were just reiterating traditions today at home. This tradition, the Mbudye tradition, states that all Luba emperors were related in one form or another to a mystical hunter called Kalala Ilungs. This mystical hunter toppled the cruel ruler Nkongolo. He also gave the people the instruction for advanced iron forging techniques.
Blog Entry 2:
Today is a sad day, as our Luba King has just passed away. He has become a diety in his death, and we must honor him by tributing his ruling village. We must transfor his village into living shrines devoted to his spirit and legacy. He is not the first to have a village transformed into a shrine. Other villages have turned into these landmarks for their deceased king.
Blog Entry 3:
I became part of the famous mbudye group. We were chosen by the Luba Empire to be the official "men of memory". We are responsible for maintaining the oral histories associated with kings, their villages, and the customs of the land. We are not alone, as others can be found in kingdoms such as Kuba and Lunda.
The Wall
Luba. ForAfricanArt. <http://www.forafricanart.com/Luba_ep_31-1.html>.
Bortolot, Alexander. Kingdoms of teh Savanna: The Luba and Lunda Empires. Timeline of Art History. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/luba/hd_luba.htm.